What to Use When

What to Use When helps Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork users choose the best Microsoft AI tool before a task starts.

For everyday single-output work, it recommends the included capability that already fits the task:

• Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat for quick questions and summaries of email, meetings, or Teams
• Copilot in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint for work in one document, workbook, or deck
• Researcher for deep, cited research
• Analyst for data analysis

For genuinely long-running or multi-output work, it recognizes that Cowork is the right choice and stays out of the way.

Install

1. Download SKILL.md from the gallery.
2. In Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork, add a skill and upload the file.
3. Try: Summarize my Teams messages from the last five weeks.

The skill classifies the request, recommends the best-fit included capability, and asks before continuing in Cowork.

Important behavior

• Runs before retrieval, task creation, or file generation for eligible single-output requests
• Does not gate direct actions such as sending an email or scheduling a meeting
• Does not block legitimate long-running or multi-output Cowork work
• Shows no pricing, credit counts, or cost estimates

Disclaimer

This is a community skill, not an official Microsoft product, and is provided as-is without warranty. It is a guidance aid, not a billing or spending control. Microsoft product capabilities, availability, and license entitlements can change; confirm current details for your tenant against official Microsoft documentation.